Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary Safe for Now
The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has deferred its decision on oil exploration in the eco-sensitive zone of the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. The proposal by Vedanta Group has sparked environmental concerns over the endangered Hoolock Gibbon species, leading to a site inspection by wildlife experts.
In a rather sticky wicket for Vedanta Group’s oil exploration dreams, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has put a firm foot on the brakes, deferring their decision to allow drilling in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. Now, we all know that bureaucracy tends to move at the speed of a snail stuck in treacle, but this decision to hold off has certainly given environmentalists a bit of breathing room—albeit, temporarily.
The crux of the matter? Despite the fact that the oil exploration is proposed outside the sanctuary itself, this eco-sensitive zone is hardly the place to be poking around for black gold. The NBWL, the country’s top brass for wildlife conservation, has decided to hit ‘pause’ until a site inspection can be carried out. Naturally, this won’t just be a casual stroll through the woods. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, along with experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, Assam’s forest department, and an independent wildlife scientist, are set to make the trek. They’ll be sizing up whether this whole oil caper is worth the potential risk to one of the most endangered apes in India—the Hoolock Gibbon, a charming yet vulnerable resident of this 20.98 sq km Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, in another parallel bout of rail-related fun, the standing committee did give the green light to electrify a segment of a 100-year-old railway line running through the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. Now, before you get too carried away imagining pandas on train tracks, rest assured, the railway plan comes with a caveat—animal passages will be constructed. Presumably, this will prevent the sanctuary’s wildlife from becoming unwitting passengers or worse, permanent fixtures on the tracks.
Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi, who’s been quite the knight in shining armour for the gibbons, welcomed the decision to defer the oil exploration. “The deferment is only a temporary solution,” he warned, “but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Short-term gains should not come at the expense of Assam’s natural heritage.” And who can argue with that? It’s all fine and dandy until you realise you’ve traded a rare species of ape for a few barrels of oil. He took to social media to stress the need for a comprehensive assessment before any further action, giving Vedanta Group a gentle nudge to think twice before going full steam ahead.
Not that the public has been twiddling their thumbs in the background. Earlier this month, a veritable chorus of concern arose at a public meeting held near the Assam-Nagaland border. Citizens from all walks of life turned out to voice their objections to the Vedanta-owned Cairn Oil and Gas proposal. The mood in the room? Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy. Prominent figures like Promod Mahanta, president of the local citizens’ body, made it clear that there’s genuine fear over the environmental impact—particularly on the sanctuary’s hoolock gibbons, who frankly, aren’t cut out for an oil boom.
Back in August, Gogoi had already fired off a letter to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, urging him to reconsider allowing any such oil-based tomfoolery near the sanctuary. And it’s no wonder, given that this patch of forest is one of the last refuges for the gibbons in India. Conservationists and locals alike are holding their collective breath, hoping that the NBWL’s site visit will confirm their worst fears—better safe than sorry, as they say.
While the future of oil exploration in this region hangs in the balance, it’s safe to say that any decision taken will be watched with hawk-like scrutiny. After all, Assam’s natural beauty isn’t something to be trifled with lightly. It’s a delicate dance between progress and preservation, and one can only hope that, for the sake of the gibbons, good sense will prevail.
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